1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a method and system for disposing of drilling fluids and fine drill cuttings generated during the drilling process and reclaiming usable materials such as various grades of gravel formed as part of the drill cuttings.
2. Background
In many oil and gas well development operations, the handling and disposal of the drilling fluid and the material entrained in the fluid during the drilling process, commonly known as the drill cuttings, has become an increasingly difficult problem. Environmental regulations and considerations prohibit or make undesirable the surface disposal of so-called drilling muds and drill cuttings. On the other hand certain categories of material produced in the drilling process may be reclaimable as useful construction materials such as various grades of sand or gravel. The so-called North Slope region of Alaska is one area where extensive oil and gas well drilling has occurred and may continue to occur and which produces useful construction-grade gravel as part of the drilling process. This material may be used to backfill reserve pits and to construct and maintain roads and well drilling and operating pads on the fragile earth's surface in this region. Moreover, although the disposal of drilling fluids and materials such as clay or fine earth particles on the surface may be unwanted from an environmental impact perspective, the disposal of these materials into subterranean formations may be acceptable and possibly beneficial.
To this end the present invention has been developed with a view to providing a unique system and method for disposing of and reclaiming certain components of drilling fluids and materials generated during the process of drilling oil and gas wells and the like.